Villarreal manager Marcelino has expressed his support for the idea of playing their upcoming La Liga home fixture against Barcelona in Miami, despite the fact that the proposal has been met with

The announcement that the Villarreal–Barcelona match on matchday 17 will be played on December 20 in Miami sparked outrage in Spanish soccer. The decision, endorsed by the RFEF and promoted by Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, has been branded an “aberration” and “disrespectful” by many.

However, most responders — more than two-thirds — believe the fixture move would be popular in the States. Barcelona and Real Madrid have regularly attracted significant crowds in recent years when playing pre-season games in the U.S., and Madrid were one of the big draws at the revamped Club World Cup this summer.